Muslim Awareness Week partners with Héma-Québec for annual blood drive

Since the deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque eight years ago that claimed the lives of six Muslim men and injured 19 others amid evening prayers, Héma-Québec has partnered with organizers of Muslim awareness week to remember the victims.

This year is no different, as they are back for their third annual blood drive, where anyone is welcome to donate.

 Blood drives are being held until January 31st at locations in Laval, Kirkland, and at Globules Versailles.

“We’re giving part of us to save others, and we are happy to do that because we love human beings,” said Salam El-Mousawi, co-founder of Muslim Awareness Week. “We love to live peacefully with others, integrate peacefully. Nobody likes to have issues. It’s just you need more dialogue so that each understands the other and everybody respects the privacy of each other.” 

Under the slogan “share blood, share hope,” this year’s co-founder of Muslim Awareness Week, El-Mousawi, says he and his fellow board members all came to donate their own blood to support saving lives of their fellow Quebecers – Muslim or not.

“We were always looking for more people because we believe that more people can do it and more people can come up and step up,” said El-Mousawi. “That’s why this year we partnered with three centers, three locations at Kirkland, Laval, and Global Versailles. We encourage everyone who can participate and give blood to come and share their hope and life with others.”

According to Héma-Québec representatives, the diversity of donors from different ethnic groups is beneficial to all.

“They’re happy to share their blood to help people and to, you know, to be part of the society and to show that Muslims are, you know, the same as every Quebecer here, and plus for him in Quebec, it’s a good thing for us because the blood bank is for Quebecers,” said Faouzi Rezagui, partnership advisor plasma donation with Héma-Québec. “And we need more diversity. So, we ask people to, you know, from different communities to call Héma-Québec.”

On the first day of the blood drive, there have been six individuals who have donated their blood, but Rezagui says the phone keeps ringing as more people are asking for appointments.

“It’s an honor for us to, you know, help each and every one, especially when we know that we need a lot of blood and plasma in Quebec,” said Rezagui. “Every 80 seconds, someone somewhere here in Quebec needs a blood transfusion. So, it gives us around 1000 donations per day that we need to, you know, respond to the hospitals for their needs. Take your appointment it takes two minutes. Take 10 minutes to give blood and it saves three lives.”

For those wishing to participate in Muslim Awareness Week’s incentive, there are many more events such as panel discussions, a visit to the Muslim community center, movie screenings and lectures as well as a commemorative ceremony to honour the memory of those whose blood was spilled eight years ago. 

“We have art exhibitions for famous painters from the Muslim community in Quebec,” said El-Mousawi. “We have our seminars about Bill 21 at McGill University and we have our closing event next Friday.”